Concrete-distributing apparatus



Dec. 29, 1925- ,567,386

A. R. REED CONCRETE DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES 5322a Dec. 29; 1925.

A. R. REED CONCRETE DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR 4 alum. M20919 witnesses Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER R. REED, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONCRETE-DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 18, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER R. Rnnn, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Concrete- Distributing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling concrete. More particularly it relates to apparatus for hoisting fresh concrete in an elevator shaft, and automatically dischargingit outside of the elevator shaft at a predetermined level.

. The objects of the invention are to provide apparatus that may be attached to and used in connection with a standard temporary elevator such as ordinarily used during the construction of buildings and which will by cooperation of the moving elevator and other parts below described, automatically discharge a load of concrete upon arrival of the elevator at a certain predetermined position in its shaft. A further object is to antomatically discharge the concrete entirely outside of the elevator shaft, quickly, and without manual labor. Another object is to provide means for accomplishing the above mentioned objects, of a construction that will permit the ready attachment and detachment from a standard construction elevator and its shaft of all of the necessary parts for securing those results. Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those familiar with building construction, concrete distribution, and the construction of the 'usual temporary elevators employed in building construction work.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation showing a construction elevator in a removable tubular steel tower, the concrete-carrying member being in position as just before its discharge; Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. l, but with the parts in position as during and immediately after dis charge of concrete from the apparatus; Fig 3 is a horizontal section through the tower and a plan view of the parts as shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. l is a partial front elevation with the parts in position as shown in Fig. 2.

In constructing modern buildings and the like itis customary first to put up a steel frame work. The girders are ordinarily lifted to position by means of derricks, but for hoisting the bricks and other materials 'where it is to be used.

Serial No. 750,714.

for the floors and walls of the building, and the concrete for use in the floors, or for pouring around the beams and girders, it is customary to erect some special form of hoist or elevator. This usually requires the construction of an open shaft from the top to the bottom of the building, with a guideway therein. This is done either by a series of timbers forming uprights and cross braces and arranged in the form of a square, or more recently, by the use of tubular leg members seated end on end, connected by clamps, and the four corner leg members being connected by cross girts and braces. In the case of timber elevators there is a large loss of material in erecting and tearing down the structure, the labor of putting them up is expensive, and they are of no use except for temporary purposes. The structural steel towers are likewise expensive to put up and tear down.

In buildings where a substantial amount of concrete is to be used at various heights throughout, special elevators for handling the concrete alone are ordinarily provided, these being equipped with means for automatically discharging the concrete upon its arrival at a predetermined level. But such concrete lifting apparatuses as have heretofore been used have not been used or useful for any other work. That is to say, they have not been arranged so as to be capable of carrying bricks, lumber and other materials to upper floors in addition to concrete. .On the other hand such elevators as have heretofore been used in building construction for carrying the materials other than concrete have not been adapted for handling concrete automatically. That is to say, such elevators have comprised simply a movable platform or floor with means to hoist it in its shaft from the bottom to the top of the building. Concrete, if raised by such an apparatus, has necessarily been wheeled onto the elevator by hand, in Wheelbarrows or buggies, and similarly removed from the elevator upon arrival at the floor Such a double trans fer by hand is costly in labor, and is very slow as compared with automatic means for dumping the concrete and removing it from the elevator shaft at its destination.

In very large construction jobs it has been customary and necessary to build two elevator shafts and elevators, one being a Cir of concrete are put on and removed by hand,

and therefore greatly increases the capacity of the elevator for carrying concrete.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 4. illustrate the typical portion of a temporary tubular steel elevator such as is now being used in building construction, The four vertical uprights, positioned at the corners of the shafts are formed of tube sections 1, standing end on end, and connected at their joints by split sleeves or clamps 2, which embrace the abutting ends of the sections. These clamps are secured on the leg sections by compression bolts, in well known manner. To the sleeves by suitable bolts 4 are attached diagonal braces 3, and horizontal girts 5, the latter being preferably of tubular stock flattened at ends, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3. Track or guide members 6 are positioned vertically on the inside of the girt members 5, for the purpose of positioning and guiding the elevator platform 7. Anysuitable hoisting means may be used for operating the elevator, and that is not here illustrated, since its construction and operation is not a part of or peculiar to this invention and is well known in the art.

Upon the elevator platform 7 is seated a frame comprising horizontal members 8, attached to the elevator floor by means of removable bolts 9, the horizontal members carrying three upright leg members 10, on each side of the platform. These leg members converge and are attached to acommon bearing member 11, which carries trunnions 12 of a concrete bucket or receptacle 13. The bearing for the trunnions 12 is com pleted by a cap plate let, attached to the member 11 by any suitable means.

The bucket or concrete-carrying receptacle 13 has an extension spout portion 15, the edges of which are guarded by a reinforcing strip 16. On the bottom of the bucket there is attached an angle iron cross member 20, adapted to contact with a cross bar 21, attached to the middle legs 10 on the opposite sides of the bucket, and extending therebetween. The members 20 and 21 prevent the bucket from tilting backward other bers 31 extend between these clamps, ap

proximately in the lines of two opposite sides of the elevator tower. U-shaped members 32, 32 arranged in cooperating pairs, and having their ends threaded support bearing members 33, by means of nuts 34, which carry a shaft 35 extending across the elevator shaft, as very clearly illustrated in the drawings. Mounted on the shaft 35 at intermediate points are two rollers, or shives, 3-6, and in position to contact with the edges of the spout 15 of the bucket 13, when it reaches the relative position shown in Fig. 1.

Just outside the elevator shaft there is preferably positioned a hopper or trough member having side walls 40 and an inclined bottom i1;

It will be apparent that by merely loosening the nuts 3%, the shaft 35 may be readily removed, thus leaving the elevator shaft entirely unobstructed for free passage of the elevator up and down therein. Furthermore, by loosening these nuts the shaft may be readily adjusted in or out on the carrying members 31 to the proper position for effecting the tilting of the bucket, as below described. Furthermore, the elevation of the shives 36, and their supports may be readil changed by taking off the clamps 30, and moving them, and the other parts associated therewith up or down on the elevator tower. 1

Although the drawings and description refer to a tubular elevator this invention is not limited thereto, since clamps attachable to timber corn r members may be readily substituted for the tubular clamps illustrated, and the device may be used with timber towers. I

The operation is as follows: The bucket and its supporting frame is attached to the floor of a standard elevator, the shives 36 and their carrying shaft are mounted in the path of the elevator at the desired elevation, by attaching clamps 30, etc., as described. The bucket, normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the counterweights 22, is filled with concrete, preferably direct from the mixer on the ground floor of the building. The elevator is then hoisted. hen the spout of the bucket comes in conact with the .shives as shown in Fig. 1, further upward movement of the elevator causes the bucket to be tilted forward, the shives rolling upon the edges 16 of the spout to the position shown in Fig. 2. This brings the outer edge of the spout outside of the elevator shaft, and discharges the contents of the bucket into the hopper or trough positioned to receive the concrete, all as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

It will be apparent to those familiar with the art that the apparatus described may be attached to and detached from standard construction elevators without the addition of any parts, and very readily. By this apparatus a construction elevator may be used for pouring the concrete for a particular floor, then the apparatus removed from the elevator, leaving it free for use for carrying bricks or other material. Then when another floor is to be poured the apparatus can readily be attached and used again, and then removed, all with a very small expenditure of labor.

WVhen it is in place on the elevator, the apparatus provides an automatically dumping, highly efiicient concrete carrying elevator.

The many uses and advantages of this construction will be readily apparent to those familiar with the art.

In case an elevator is used in which there are side walls built upon its platform the bearings for the shaft may be mounted in theside walls of the elevator itself, thus doing away with the necessity for the elements 8, 9 and 10. It will be understood,

of course, that the essential thing is to have the bearings so positioned that they will carry the shaft 35 so that there will be nothing to prevent free upward and clownward travel of the elevator in its tower.

I claim:

1. The-combination with an ordinary construction elevator and its tower of a removable supporting carriage adapted to be fixed upon the elevator, a concrete-carrying bucket rockably mounted in said carriage, the bucket having an extended spout long enough to discharge concrete outside of the elevator shaft when the bucket is tilted, and removable vertically adjustable means attached to the elevator tower adapted to engage the spout of the bucket whereby to tilt it into discharge position upon arrival of the elevator at a predetermined height.

2. The combination with an ordinary construction elevator and its tower of a re movable rockable concrete-carrying bucket and a supporting frame therefor adapted to be detachably mounted on the elevator,

the bucket having an extended spout long enough to discharge concrete outside of the elevator shaft when the bucket is tilted, automatic means to tilt the bucket into discharge position upon arrival of the elevator at a predetermined height, and means to restore the bucket to normal position when the elevator is lowered from discharging position.

3. The combination with an ordinary construction elevator and its tower of a removable rockable concrete-carrying bucket and a supporting frame therefor mounted on the elevator, said bucket having a spout extending upward therefrom on one side and adapted to extend outside of the elevator shaft when said spout is tilted downward, and detachable means mounted on the elevator tower and adapted to engage and tilt the bucket as and after the spout comes in contact with said means.

The combination with a construction tower and an elevator adapted to move up and down therein, of a removable frame adapted to seat on the elevator platform, a concrete-carrying bucket rockably mounted on said frame, the bucket having an elongated spout on one side, said spout normally extending upward above the body of the bucket but positioned inside the elevator shaft, a removable shaft adapted to be positioned across the elevator shaft and having shives mounted thereon in position to engage the edges of the spout of the bucket and to tilt the bucket upon elevation thereof after coming into contact with said shives, whereby to discharge the contents W of the bucket outside of the elevator shaft.

5. The combination with a construction elevator and its tower of a removable frame adapted to be seated on the elevator, a rockable bucket adapted to carry concrete mounted in said frame, said bucket having an elongated upwardly extending spouton one side, counter-weights on the side of the bucket opposite the spout adapted to hold the bucket in normal content-carrying position, a stop member attached to the bottom of the bucket and adapted to limit the travel of the bucket induced by the counterweights, roller members positioned in the elevator shaft and adapted to engage the upper edges of the spout of the bucket and to depress it upon upward travel of the bucket after said engagement, and removably mounted members adapted to carry said rollers and to be attached to the elevator tower at any desired point.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

ALEXANDER R. REED. 

